Two of their star players, LaMarcus Aldridge and Mo Williams, are injured. Reserve big man Joel Freeland is doubtful he will make it back before the season finale. At least two other players, Wesley Matthews and Earl Watson, are battling chest colds. Matthews also has an aching back after trying to take a charge in San Antonio, and Lillard has been like a punching bag of late, taking in-game shots to the head, gut and hip in the last two games.

Adding insult to injury, the Blazers have become a shell of their early-season selves, unable to close games or play consistently against top-tier competition. Not only have the Blazers started this trip 0-4, they have lost eight consecutive games and 12 of 13 to teams with winning records.

To say the pressure is mounting is an understatement.

Head coach Terry Stotts these days is as testy as they come, both on and off the court, and his players kept the locker room doors closed after Wednesday’s game to make sure nobody was deserting a sinking ship.

Later, after the media had dissipated, Aldridge left the locker room and boarded the team bus on crutches.

“This is a league of adversity,’’ Stotts said Wednesday night in San Antonio. “Every team in the league goes through it at some point. It’s how you come through it that matters.’’

Terry Stotts has the look, and the words, of a coach feeling the pressure.Bruce Ely/The Oregonian

Forget about chasing home court in the playoffs. The Blazers might be hard-pressed to make the playoffs.

Heading into Thursday’s NBA play, the Blazers sit in the fifth seed, but have a 3.5 game lead over Dallas and Memphis for the eighth and final playoff spot. Both the Mavericks and Grizzlies hold the tiebreaker over the Blazers by virtue of winning the season series.

The Blazers would need to hold on to a 5.5 game lead they have on Phoenix to make the playoffs.

“We are going to fight,’’ Matthews said when faced with the prospect of losing Aldridge. “We are accustomed to (playing a small lineup) ... now it’s time for us to make our own luck. Get the 50-50 balls. We need to stop waiting for it to happen and start making it happen.’’

Although Matthews wouldn’t say what was talked about in the team meeting, Damian Lillard said the tone in general was that the Blazers need to “play for the right reasons.’’

“That’s playing for each other, and playing to win,’’ Lillard said. “Those are the only two things that matter. That the next guy has your back and wants to win just as bad as you do.’’